Send Your Law Firm Back to School

As your law firm faces the end of summer, your next client could be facing their first run-in with the law.

More than 20 million students are expected to attend colleges and universities in the U.S. in the next few weeks. (source) The majority of these students are about to navigate sometimes precarious waters. Most young adults striking out on their own have never faced such dramatic levels of freedom and responsibility before.

Therein lies your opportunity. Your firm has a chance to help educate these people about their legal rights and responsibilities while building your brand at the same time. All it takes is a little bit of writing and some well-targeted promotion.

Step 1: Blog about a legal issue (or issues) that is relevant to college students in your market. If your town hosts an NCAA football powerhouse, content regarding intoxication, DUI/DWI and parking misdemeanors are a safe bet for the next few months. A dry campus on the other hand, might value advice on managing debt or rental disputes. Your content should be primarily informative, outlining the laws in your state and making recommendations for how to stay safe and out of trouble in the first place. Remember that the goal here is to build your brand, not drive red-hot leads.

Step 2:Share your post on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites. Don’t ignore mature adults in this stage. Parents of college students are generally more aware of what’s at stake, and they’re often the ones paying the bills.

Step 3: Support your post through paid advertising. This could be through a PPC campaign or by boosting your posts on social media. If there was ever a time for your firm to try targeted social advertising, this is it. While you’re at it, don’t overlook traditional print ads, campus newspapers and other media outlets. These organizations may be open to interviewing you for pieces of their own, and while college students are tech savvy, newspapers and flyers are still part of their daily routine.

Bonus Tip: Think mobile with college students. Your content should be short enough to read on a mobile device and written with sharing in mind. Lists and tips top long rambling paragraphs with this audience.

The only caveat here is to act fast. Take the time to customize your content to your practice area, geography and local laws, but move quickly to get something relevant and valuable online as soon as possible so that you can promote it over the coming weeks. Many schools return to session this week and nearly all colleges and universities are well underway by Labor Day weekend.

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Sean Sands

Sean currently works in FindLaw's Performance Organization in the area of web content where he provides guidance on strategies, tactics and techniques designed to improve client branding, onsite SEO, site engagement and site conversion. Prior to joining FindLaw, Sean ran his own design and marketing firm focusing on delivering print and digital marketing solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses.